The present invention is directed to communication devices for aircraft and, more particularly, to an aircraft communication device that displays desired communication frequencies in a desired order and which suggests a frequency most likely to be needed by the pilot at a particular time.
Modem aircraft pilots must send and receive information to and from a large number of facilities. For example, a pilot beginning a flight ordinarily will set the communication equipment to the frequency for the originating airport""s Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) to learn the local weather conditions, winds, and runways(s) and instrument approach(es) currently in use. Then, the pilot may contact a Clearance Delivery (CLR) facility on another frequency to obtain permission to depart the airport. Thereafter, the pilot may contact a Ground Control (GRND) facility on another frequency for permission to use the taxiways. After that, the pilot may contact the Control Tower (TWR) and requests permission to take off. Once airborne, the pilot may contact a Flight Service Station (FSS) on another frequency to open a previously-filed flight plan.
Once airborne, the pilot may contact a Departure Control (DEP) facility on another frequency for instructions until the aircraft leaves the controlled airspace. Thereafter, the pilot may contact the appropriate sector of an Air Route Traffic Control Center (Center or CTR) having responsibility for the airspace through which the aircraft is passing on another frequency for advisories and/or instructions en-route to the destination airport. Since the aircraft may pass through multiple sectors for a Center before reaching the destination airport, the pilot may have to change frequencies whenever passing from one sector to another. Should the aircraft intend to enter or pass through Class B, C or D controlled airspaces during the flight, then the pilot must contact the Approach Control (APP) facility or TWR of the controlled airspace to inform them of a desire to enter or pass through the controlled airspace. The APP or TWR for each such controlled airspace typically will have its own communication frequency.
If the pilot desires to learn of any important weather information during the flight, he or she may tune to a Hazardous In-flight Weather Advisory Service (HIWAS) on another frequency. The pilot also may contact an Enroute Flight Advisory Service (EFAS or Flight Watch) of the FSS that services the area that the aircraft is passing through on another frequency for additional weather information. An FSS frequency other than a Flight Watch frequency may be contacted to determine the status of Special Use Areas (SUA""s) such as restricted areas and Military Operations Areas (MOA""s), and other information.
If the destination airport is a non-tower-controlled airport, the pilot may obtain weather information as he or she nears the airport by tuning to an Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS) or Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) at their designated frequencies. The pilot may obtain other information and services at such airports by contacting the airport on a separate unicom frequency. As the aircraft approaches the airport, the pilot usually broadcasts his or her intentions over the unicom frequency as well. If the airport does not have unicom capability, then the pilot will broadcast on a multicom frequency that typically is monitored by air traffic in the vicinity of the airport.
If a destination airport is within a terminal radar area, then the pilot may need to contact an Approach Control facility for the destination airport on the appropriate frequency for permission to enter the controlled airspace. Thereafter, the pilot will contact the Control Tower at the destination airport on the appropriate frequency for landing instructions. Once the aircraft is on the ground, the pilot may contact Ground Control at another frequency for taxiing instructions. Thereafter, the pilot may contact the FSS on another frequency to close the flight plan. The pilot may also choose to use the Unicom frequency to communicate with non-control facilities at the airport.
In addition to the voice communication frequencies noted above, the aircraft equipment uses additional frequencies for navigation. For example, different VOR frequencies associated with different VOR ground transmitters along the flight path may be used by a VOR receiver in the aircraft to guide the aircraft along a designated flight route. Frequencies associated with Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) equipment associated with a VOR (the combination being referred to as a VORTAC), for example, may be used by Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) in the aircraft to indicate the distance between the aircraft and the VORTAC. Signals transmitted on other frequencies by nondirectional radio beacons (NDB""s) may be used by Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) equipment in the aircraft to indicate the bearing of the aircraft relative to the NDB. During instrument-guided landings a localizer transmitter at an airport runway transmits signals at another frequency for horizontal guidance of the aircraft to the longitudinal center of the runway, and a glide slope transmitter transmits signals at another frequency for vertical guidance of the aircraft to the desired glide slope for the runway. While newer aircraft equipment automatically selects the appropriate glide slope frequency from a selected localizer frequency, older aircraft equipment require the pilot to select each frequency independently.
Clearly, the pilot must have knowledge of a large number of communication and navigation frequencies for a successful flight. Keeping track of all the required and desired frequencies can be very difficult, and failure to use the proper frequency at the proper time can have serious consequences. Indeed, fatal crashes have resulted from a pilot being tuned to the wrong frequency for a particular airspace.
The assignee of the present invention has built navigation/communication (navcomm) equipment which attempts to alleviate some of the difficulty in accessing the correct frequency for a particular situation. For example, the model KLN 89B and KLN 900 Global Positioning System (GPS) Navigation Systems have a xe2x80x9cnearestxe2x80x9d function which displays a menu of airports (APT""s), VOR""s, NDB""s, intersections (INT), SUA""s, FSS""s, CTR""s and user defined waypoints (USR) that are closest to the aircraft. A cursor is used to select the desired entry (APT, VOR, etc.) for a listing of the information, including navcomm frequencies, associated with the entry. However, the menu itself merely lists the acronyms, and the screen displaying the information associated with the selected acronym merely lists the information in no particular order that helps the pilot determine which frequency may be needed. Furthermore, if the pilot is viewing a page of airport information and wants to view information for a flight service station, the pilot must return to the menu of acronyms and select the FSS acronym. The page of data for the nearest FSS""s is displayed, but then the pilot no longer has the previous airport information readily available.
The present invention is directed to an aircraft navigation system wherein facility information and communication and/or navigation frequencies are displayed by the equipment in a manner which allows the pilot to select the facility and/or frequency most likely needed for a particular situation. In one embodiment of the present invention, an aviation facility nominating device for aircraft includes a position receiving component that receives position data indicating a position of the aircraft, an aviation data receiving component that receives aviation data associated with a plurality of aviation facilities, a facility selecting component for selecting aviation data for a selected plurality of the aviation facilities based on a position of the aircraft and a nominating component that nominates at least one but not all of the selected plurality of aviation facilities as a nominated aviation facility likely to be of interest to a pilot based on the position of the aircraft. In another embodiment of the present invention, an aviation signal nominating device includes a position receiving component that receives position data indicating a position of the aircraft, an aviation signal receiving component that receives a plurality of aviation signals associated with an aviation facility, each aviation signal having a prescribed frequency, and a nominating component that nominates at least one but not all of the plurality of aviation signals as a nominated aviation signal likely to be of interest to a pilot based on the position of the aircraft.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, an aviation signal frequency value nominating device includes a position receiving component that receives position data indicating a position of the aircraft; an aviation data receiving component that receives aviation data associated with a plurality of aviation facilities, wherein the aviation data for each of the plurality of aviation facilities includes an aviation signal having a prescribed frequency value; a nominating component that nominates one of the plurality of aviation facilities as a nominated aviation facility based on a position of the aircraft; and a display for displaying the frequency value of the aviation signal of the nominated aviation facility. If desired, the display may display information corresponding to the nominated aviation facility and/or information corresponding to at least selected ones of the plurality of the aviation facilities in addition to the nominated aviation facility.
In an even more specific embodiment, the aviation data for each of the plurality of aviation facilities includes a plurality of aviation signals, wherein each of the plurality of aviation signals having a prescribed frequency value. In this case the nominating component nominates one of the plurality of aviation signals associated with the nominated aviation facility as a nominated aviation signal likely to be of interest to a pilot, and the display displays the frequency value of the nominated aviation signal. If desired, the display may display frequency values of at least selected ones of the plurality of aviation signals associated with the nominated aviation facility in addition to the frequency value of the nominated aviation signal. In an even more specific embodiment, the display includes a first level display displaying a header associated with the nominated aviation facility and a second level display displaying the frequency value of the nominated aviation signal. In all cases, nomination of an aviation facility and/or signal may be based additionally on aircraft speed, altitude, radial relative to an airport facility, and/or states of the aircraft such as a taxi-in state, a taxi-out state, a departure state, an enroute state or an arrival state.